The Place.
The rootes of the two first sorts, haue been often sent from Constantinople, among many other sorts of rootes, and it may be come thither from beyond the Bosphorus in Asia; we haue them in our Gardens.
The other two sorts are sprung (it is probable, if they be in rerum natura) from the seede of the two former; for we could neuer get such from Constantinople, as if the Turkes had neuer knowledge of any such.
The Time.
They flower in March or Aprill, as the yeare is temperate, but the first is soonest vp out of the ground.
The Names.
The two former haue beene sent from Turkie by the name of Muschoromi and Dipcadi. Matthiolus calleth it Bulbus vomitorius, saying that no root doth more prouoke vomit then it. Caspar Bauhinus doth most properly call it Hyacinthus Moschatus. It is most generally called Muscari, by all Herbarists and Florists, yet because it doth so neerely resemble the Grape-flower, I haue named it Hyacinthus Botroides maior Moschatus, to put a difference from the lesser Grape-flowers that follow; in English, The great Muske Grape-flower, or Muscari.
{Grape-flower}
Hyacinthus Botroides minor cæruleus obscurus. The darke blew Grape-flower.
This Grape-flower hath many small, fat, and weake leaues lying vpon the ground, which are somewhat brownish at their first comming vp, and of a sad greene afterwards, hollow on the vpperside, and round vnderneath, among which rise vp round, smooth, weake stalkes, bearing at the toppe many small heauie bottle-like flowers, in shape like the former Muscari, but very thicke thrust together, smaller, and of a very darke or blackish blew colour, of a very strong smell, like vnto Starch when it is new made, and hot: the root is round, and blackish without, being compassed with a number of small rootes, or of-sets round about it, so that it will quickly choke a ground, if it be suffered long in it. For which cause, most men doe cast it into some by-corner, if they meane to preserue it, or cast it out of the Garden quite.